Fan Xingjia's slip of the tongue nearly made Cai Zhao faint on the spot.
Chang Ning stepped forward to steady her, asking in confusion, "All ambushed? Was Fallen Blossom Valley among them? But Lady Cai and Valley Master Cai took separate routes—even Zhao Zhao didn't know which path they took. Could they have been ambushed too?"
Fan Xingjia, panting heavily from his run, realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, "No, no, Fallen Blossom Valley wasn't among them. Lady Cai and Master Juexing have already arrived at the Ning family residence—Master just received the message. As for Valley Master Cai, no one knows where he went... Wait, no, Master received a brief letter from Valley Master Cai this morning saying he'd return to the inn in Green Tower Town within a few days."
Cai Zhao regained her composure and angrily scolded, "Fifth Brother, are you trying to kill me?!"
Seeing the girl's face pale with fright, Fan Xingjia repeatedly apologized.
What else could Cai Zhao do? "Forget it, forget it. You came to deliver the news out of kindness, Brother. Tell us properly what exactly happened outside."
Just then, Furong and Feicui brought breakfast, so Cai Zhao had Fan Xingjia sit down, and the three of them ate while talking.
In truth, since Nie Hengcheng and his loyal followers perished, the Martial World had enjoyed a period of peace. The righteous and demonic factions maintained their boundaries—minor friction occurred frequently, but major conflicts were rare. The former sought to consolidate internal unity and uphold sect discipline, while the latter, due to the heavy casualties from previous clashes, could no longer afford to fight or kill.
Even when organizing multi-sect gatherings to train newcomers, both sides kept the scale under control.
Thus, during the bicentennial memorial ceremony for Old Ancestor Bei Chen, the orthodox sects didn't pay much attention to the Demonic Cult. High-profile sects like Vast Heaven Gate and low-key ones like Hanging Temple all traveled openly to Nine Conch Mountain without concealing their movements.
After over a decade of this stalemate, who still had the energy for trouble? The most passionate ones had long died during Nie Hengcheng's era.
Chang Ning sneered, "Indeed, prolonged peace dulls one's edge. No matter how useless Nie Zhe is, after such a major incident as the massacre of my entire family, the sects should have been more vigilant."
"Comfort—comfort is what erodes willpower the most," Cai Zhao added. "Oh, that's something my aunt used to say."
Because of this, no one expected the Demonic Cult to suddenly strike, ambushing various sects on their return journeys.
Although the Demonic Cult maintained a fair but discreet approach in their attacks, the extent of damage varied greatly among the sects.
"Zhao Zhao's family had the best luck," Fan Xingjia remarked with emotion. "Especially Lady Cai—the disciples sent to escort her couldn't even keep up, getting disoriented all day. When they were a day or two away from the Ning family stronghold, Master Juexing told them to return and report. No wonder even the Demonic Cult couldn't track Lady Cai's group."
Ning Xiaofeng was the youngest daughter, doted on by her parents since childhood. At a young age, she quarreled with her mother over the issue of changing her hairstyle to become a nun. Not long after entering the Martial World, she met Cai Pingshu, and when marriage didn't work out, they became sisters.
Cai Pingshu adored this beautiful, lively, and endearing little sister, spoiling her immensely.
If Ning Xiaofeng admired pearl hairpins made from mermaid tears, Cai Pingshu would scour the South Sea's pearl nests for them. If Ning Xiaofeng wanted snow lotuses from icy mountains for her cosmetics, Cai Pingshu would brave snow-blocked paths to bring her a basketful.Thus, Ning Xiaofeng developed an increasingly carefree and willful temperament—until after the Battle of Tu Mountain, when Cai Pingshu's meridians were shattered and she was bedridden. It was as if Ning Xiaofeng suddenly grew up overnight, transforming into a capable and all-around Valley Mistress.
Having stayed in Fallen Blossom Valley for over a decade, this rare trip out allowed Ning Xiaofeng to revert to her youthful habits, going wherever her whims took her.
One day, if she found a lively town, she would drag her children along to eat, drink, and make merry. The next day, if she spotted a picturesque lake, she would take her husband on a boat for a leisurely tour lasting several days. Another day, upon hearing locals at an inn praise the braised pigeon and plum wine of a neighboring city as unparalleled delicacies, she would detour for days just to indulge her cravings...
Cai Pingchun indulged his wife's every wish, Cai Zhao was thrilled to skip her apprenticeship duties, and Little Fatty Cai—well, he had no say in the matter. As a result, the Cai Family's journey from Fallen Blossom Valley to Nine Conch Mountain took three times longer than usual.
After the memorial ceremony, on the way to the Ning Family, Ning Xiaofeng unsurprisingly reverted to her old ways.
Unlike the other groups of escorting disciples who lost contact due to Demonic Cult ambushes—leaving them injured or unable to send word—the disciples assigned to protect the Cai mother and son simply got lost after following Ning Xiaofeng's meandering path, only barely managing to find their way back to the main road.
At this point, Chang Ning glanced at Cai Zhao with a meaningful look.
Cai Zhao, baffled by his gaze, turned to Fan Xingjia to apologize. "It's all my mother's capriciousness that led the fellow disciples astray. Please, Senior Brother Fan, convey my apologies to Li Shibo on my behalf."
"No need, no need," Fan Xingjia waved his hand. "Thanks to your mother, those disciples were the luckiest of all."
While the other groups returned bruised, broken, or even dead, the disciples who followed Ning Xiaofeng came back glowing with health, their lips still glistening from rich meals, their bags stuffed with local souvenirs. Aside from being slightly lost for a few days, it was practically a sightseeing trip.
Chang Ning mused thoughtfully, "Why didn't the Demonic Cult just storm the Ning Family and wipe them out in one go?"
Cai Zhao shot him a glare. "Where do you think my mother learned her traps and formations? From my grandfather. The Ning Family is hidden tighter than your Chang Family."
At least the Chang Family's location was known to be in a mountain, but the Ning Family's territory spanned multiple hills and forests across several regions—all looking nearly identical—and the entrance changed every time.
As for Cai Pingchun's group, they were already investigating the Chang Family massacre in secret, so their movements were naturally discreet. Even Qi Yunke didn't know where they were on any given day.
Fan Xingjia concluded, "Rest assured, Junior Sister, the Cai Family is perfectly fine."
"Just luck," Cai Zhao replied sheepishly, then tactfully showed concern for their brother sects. "I think the Demonic Cult was just annoyed by the grand scale of our ancestor's memorial ceremony. Their ambushes were half-hearted, more for show than anything."
Fan Xingjia shook his head. "No, they were serious."
The worst-hit was Vast Heaven Gate.
Ever since being mocked by Qiu Yuanfeng during the memorial ceremony, Song Shijun had been determined to restore Vast Heaven Gate's reputation.
As he traveled, he visited local strongholds and influential figures along the way, bonding with them over drinks and, incidentally, boosting the local entertainment industry.The disparity in status between these local strongmen and the Big Dipper Six Sects was as vast as candlelight compared to the bright moon. Having received such rare favor and hospitality, after three cups of aged wine and two rounds of bawdy tunes, they became convinced that Sect Leader Song was the greatest hero under heaven—one who truly valued talent and treated others with utmost respect. With such a mighty elder brother watching over them, what regrets could life possibly hold?!
Thus, those with outstanding disciples or nephews sent them to join Vast Heaven Gate, while those without simply pledged themselves directly.
Song Shijun had already brought a sizable entourage to Nine Conch Mountain, and after gathering allies and recruiting heroes along the way, when they stumbled into the Demonic Cult's ambush, both sides found the situation rather awkward.
The Demonic Cult stared at the overwhelming sea of people before them, feeling their ambush circle was about to burst at the seams.
Song Shijun, on the other hand, felt that his dignified and heroic image had been tarnished by leading his large contingent so carelessly into an ambush.
He was somewhat annoyed.
After a chaotic skirmish, the side that had fallen into the trap actually managed to drive off the side that had set it.
Though there were casualties, the numbers weren’t excessive. Song Shijun then performed another act of compassionate consolation, doubling the effect.
Apart from Eldest Young Master Song Mao having two toes smashed by a meteor hammer, the outcome was practically joyous for all.
Cai Zhao smiled cheerfully. "This news sounds quite good."
"Has Song Yu heard about this yet?" Chang Ning asked.
Fan Xingjia replied, "Fourth Senior Brother has already gone to inform Third Senior Brother. Since Vast Heaven Gate suffered no major losses, Sect Leader Song will likely arrive soon after receiving the carrier pigeon message."
Next to be attacked were Grand Beginning Temple and Hanging Temple.
Originally, Grand Beginning Temple, having just undergone upheaval with its morale in shambles, would have been an ideal target for a sneak attack. However, news of Wu Yuanying’s tragic death had spread like wildfire. Even before the sects descended the mountain, the Martial World had already pieced together most of the story.
The once heroic and generous young warrior had been tortured for over a decade in the sunless dungeons of the Demonic Cult. Anyone with even a shred of conscience would be moved, let alone those who still remembered Wu Yuanying’s charisma and righteous reputation.
Individually, these people might have been weak, but together, they packed quite a punch.
They reasoned that while Cang Qiongzi and Qiu Yuanfeng were dead, their beloved disciples and trusted aides were still alive and well. At the very least, they ought to vent their anger for Wu Yuanying on them.
Thus, from the moment Grand Beginning Temple’s group left Qingque Town, they were constantly harassed—whether by vulgar insults, hurled sewage, rotten fruit, or stinking eggs, or even arson, poisoning, and outright armed assaults.
After all, a father’s debts are paid by his sons, and a master’s debts naturally fall to his disciples.
Moreover, no one would speak up for Grand Beginning Temple against such overt and covert retaliation.
After suffering several silent defeats, even the mild-mannered Wang Yuanjing had no choice but to assert his authority and tighten discipline among the temple’s disciples.
Staying at inns was out of the question—the relentless mockery was unbearable. So Wang Yuanjing ordered his disciples to travel by night, camp in the wild, and remain vigilant at all times.
Ironically, this very approach allowed them to evade the Demonic Cult’s ambush. When the cult’s pursuers doubled back to intercept them, Grand Beginning Temple, well-rested and prepared, managed to escape unscathed. A blessing in disguise, one might say.
Hanging Temple fared similarly.
Shijing Yuantai was famously cautious and meticulous, treading as if on thin ice. Ever since the incident with Wu Yuanying, she had been deeply uneasy.On the return journey, they chose to spend extra silver to switch to a water route, causing the Demonic Cult ambushers lying in wait on the original path to miss their target. The cultists had to laboriously chase all the way to the Hanging Temple. However, by then, Shijing Yuantai, having heard the rumors, had her disciples form a defensive formation at the other end of the road, waiting calmly and well-rested, allowing them to escape unscathed.
Next to be ambushed were the Four Stallions Gate and the Evergreen Temple.
Unlike Ning Xiaofeng and Song Shijun, who wandered about recklessly and encountered frequent mishaps, or the Grand Beginning Temple and Hanging Temple, which were overly cautious to avoid traps, these two sects followed their planned route home—making them theoretically the easiest targets for an ambush.
Yet, these two sects were located at the eastern and western ends of a vast plain, with hundreds of miles of open terrain offering no cover—no mountains, not even a single hillock—making it nearly impossible for the Demonic Cult to set up an ambush.
In the end, the ambushes were set up near the sects' headquarters, as those areas were already on the fringes of the plain.
The disciples of the Four Stallions Gate and the monks of Evergreen Temple were suddenly attacked but fought while retreating, eventually falling back into their respective sect compounds.
The Demonic Cultists, bloodlust clouding their judgment, refused to relent and pursued them all the way into the sects' headquarters—only to be completely surrounded and annihilated.
The final outcome: the Demonic Cultists were wiped out, but the buildings and courtyards of both sects suffered significant damage.
The ancestral hall of the Four Stallions Gate, which enshrined generations of forebears, was destroyed. Yang Heying clutched a pile of ancestral tablets and wept bitterly—even more sorrowfully than when she had cried as a newborn after being slapped by the midwife.
At Evergreen Temple, more than half of the scripture repository, treasure vault, and monks' quarters were burned down. Fakong Shangren suffered burns on his shoulders and back while rescuing sacred texts and inhaled thick smoke into his lungs.
"The buildings can be rebuilt. What matters is that people are safe. They can recover slowly," Cai Zhao said with relief. Yang Heying was one thing, but Fakong Shangren was such a kind and benevolent elder—she hoped nothing serious would happen to him at his age.
Chang Ning frowned slightly and turned to Fan Xingjia. "Did you leave out one sect?"
Fan Xingjia hesitated and averted his gaze.
Cai Zhao was startled. "What about Jade Pendant Mountain Manor? How are Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhixian?" After hearing about the other close calls, she had begun to relax.
Fan Xingjia scratched his neck, seemingly unsure how to explain.
"I thought of this earlier—the Zhou family's group must have faced the greatest danger," Chang Ning said slowly. "Master Zhou is neither the type to be paranoid without reason nor reckless enough to wander about aimlessly. Jade Pendant Mountain Manor also lacks favorable terrain. On the contrary, the return route passes through stunning lakes and mountains—perfect for setting up multiple ambushes."
Hearing this, Cai Zhao grew even more anxious. She grabbed Fan Xingjia and shook him hard. "Just tell me!"
Dizzy from the shaking, Fan Xingjia quickly said, "The casualties... were extremely severe. Zhou female knight and the two young Zhou masters suffered grave injuries—very grave. Even Master Zhou sustained internal injuries. In the end, only a few of them escaped alive. Most of the disciples and followers who accompanied them perished. It's said the lake water was stained red."
This was the most successful attack in the Demonic Cult's coordinated assault on the six sects.
Cai Zhao fell silent for a long time, her heart heavy with worry. "I... I need to go to Jade Pendant Mountain Manor to see Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhixian."
Fan Xingjia hurriedly reassured her, "Don’t worry. Master also said he would visit Master Zhou. We can go together."
After seeing Fan Xingjia off, Cai Zhao turned to find Chang Ning still sitting gracefully in his spot, quietly watching her.
She sighed. "What do you want to say?"
Chang Ning: "Can I say, 'Actually, your visit won’t make Master Zhou’s injuries heal any faster'?"Cai Zhao scowled. "No, you didn't say that."
Chang Ning: "Then can I say, 'Are you making excuses to go see Zhou Yuqi?'"
Cai Zhao suppressed her anger. "Also no. I didn't hear that."
Chang Ning: "Then let's try another. Don't you think the Demonic Cult's ambush tactics against various sects this time resemble their sneak attack on Azure Tower Sect yesterday?"
"I don't!" Cai Zhao snapped. "I haven't even settled accounts with you yet! What did you tell me initially? Oh right, 'The Demonic Cult is divided by factions with frequent internal strife, nothing like its powerful days when Nie Hengcheng was alive,' and 'The Demonic Cult operates independently within, Nie Zhe has mediocre talent, what capability does he have left'—wasn't this what you said? Hah!"
"If a 'not powerful, incapable, faction-divided, strife-ridden' Demonic Cult can throw the Big Dipper Six Sects plus one temple and one nunnery into complete chaos, what hope would we have if the Demonic Cult ever became powerful, capable, and united?!"
"So actually you were secretly praising the Demonic Cult while pretending to disparage it?" Cai Zhao fumed. "Can I even trust your words anymore!"
Unperturbed by the girl's sarcasm, Chang Ning maintained his gentle smile. "The current Demonic Cult is indeed faction-divided with frequent internal strife, no longer in its prime. These recent actions likely represent Nie Zhe's entire available forces."
"But why would he stake all his resources on something that harms others without benefiting himself?" He tilted his head in thought.
"It's not entirely without benefit," Cai Zhao found the reasoning plausible. "Haven't you always said Nie Zhe lacks authority within the Demonic Cult? By pulling off such a major operation, perhaps everyone will be pleased enough to remove the 'acting' from his title of Acting Sect Leader."
Chang Ning nodded slowly. "...That's possible."
"By the way, you mentioned earlier that the Demonic Cult's ambush tactics resemble their sneak attack on Azure Tower Sect yesterday. How so?" Cai Zhao asked.
"Both were ingenious strategies with terrible execution," Chang Ning replied.
Cai Zhao paused.
Chang Ning continued slowly, "Their sudden ambush during the post-ceremony period was an excellent strategy. Yet the executors seemed incapable of improvisation, rigidly following predetermined plans. In the end, only Jade Pendant Mountain Manor—who obediently took the expected route—was successfully ambushed."
"Yesterday was the same. The strategy was quite clever, even the timing perfectly calculated. Yet when implemented, numerous flaws emerged."
"Why did Sect Leader Qi and Song Yu survive? Because you warned them in time." His deep gaze rested on the girl. "The flaws? You and I—we are the flaws."
"The original plan didn't account for a skilled, loyal disciple like you worrying about her sect leader. Nor did it anticipate a recently recovered patient like me."
"But we didn't appear out of nowhere. You demonstrated your skills during the ceremony days ago, and I showed mine at the outer sect earlier." The young man's expression remained impassive. "Yet the executors failed to adapt, never factoring us in, leading to their ultimate failure."
"As I said—ingenious strategies, terrible execution. Like a brilliant strategist serving an utterly foolish lord."
After quietly studying Chang Ning for a moment, Cai Zhao suddenly said, "My father's here. Come meet him with me."
Chang Ning blinked. "Don't you have anything to ask me?"Cai Zhao glanced out the window. "My aunt said, ask less, listen more."
Because sometimes what you ask for may not be the truth—especially when you meet someone you can't see through.
When Cai Pingshu said this, there seemed to be ripples in her usually calm eyes.
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